PATRIOTS: Projecting who the chosen 53 will be

Monday

With 12 practices and one preseason game in the books, taking a look at how the team’s active roster will shape up once cuts are made on Sept. 1.

FOXBORO – Twelve training camp practices have been conducted, one preseason game has been played.

With this Thursday night’s game with the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles at Gillette Stadium, the midpoint of the preseason schedule approaches.

Here’s a look (OK, guess) at who the chosen 53 will be (54 actually, since wide receiver Julian Edelman will open the season on the NFL’s suspended list for violating the league policy on performance-enhancing substances), when cuts to the regular-season roster limit are made on Sept. 1:

Quarterback (2): Tom Brady, Bryan Hoyer

The good news is the back injury the 41-year-old Brady is reportedly suffering from is believed to be minor.

If it weren’t, it would be head coach Bill Belichick who’d need the pain killer.

Hoyer is who he is, which isn’t a knee-jerk reaction based on his flat-line performance in Thursday night’s 26-17 preseason-opening victory over Washington when the Patriots’ running game carried them to a come-from-behind win, but one based on his body of work over his entire NFL career.

The guy’s been with seven different teams in 10 seasons for a reason.

At the same time, it seems Danny Etling slipped to the seventh round of this year’s draft for a reason, too. Maybe this is a knee-jerk reaction, but to this point accuracy has been a major issue for the rookie.

Let’s lock in Michel, the second of the Patriots’ two first-round draft picks, and veteran holdovers White and Burkhead.

Signed away from Cincinnati as an unrestricted free agent during the offseason, Hill took advantage of the increased opportunity injuries to Michel (knee) and Burkhead (unknown) gave him in the preseason opener. Showing great vision and burst, he carried the ball 11 times for 51 yards and a touchdown and caught two passes for another 14 yards.

Clearly, Hill has moved ahead of Mike Gillislee, who after being brought in from Buffalo last year plummeted from the lead back role at the season’s outset to a game-day inactive for 10 of the Patriots’ last 11 games (including all three in the postseason).

Bolden is nothing if not a survivor. Signed by the Patriots as a rookie free agent in 2012, his value on special teams keeps him around for a seventh season.

Rookie free agent Ralph Webb is all the rage following his 16-point performance (two touchdowns, two 2-point conversions) against the Redskins, but it remains to be seen if he’s anything more than a one-game wonder. It would also be nice to see him perform against players who are still going to be in the league come September.

Fullback (1): James Develin

With all due apologies to Henry Poggi’s fans, the rookie free agent isn’t about to beat out the Pro Bowler for a roster spot.

With Edelman’s suspension and Slater a wide receiver in name only, under this scenario the number here at the season’s outset is actually five, not seven.

Unfortunately, every wide receiver on this list, including Edelman (who’ll be coming off the torn anterior cruciate ligament that sidelined him for all of 2017 and his suspension to play his first meaningful game since Super Bowl LI when he’s activated in October), comes with a question mark attached.

Tight end (3): Dwayne Allen, Rob Gronkowski, Jacob Hollister

Given the outlook at the wide receiver position, it’s a good thing the Patriots have Gronkowski, the five-time Pro Bowler, at tight end and a handful of pass-catching types in the backfield.

If the team’s offseason work and training camp are any indications, Hollister has made great strides since his rookie year and may be able to lend a hand in the passing game.

As for Allen, he didn’t lend much of a hand (10 receptions) after being acquired in a trade with Indianapolis last year, but his blocking ability gives him the edge over practice squad holdover Will Tye and seventh-round draft pick Ryan Izzo.

Brown, the 380-pounder obtained from San Francisco in a draft-day deal, was given the first crack at succeeding Nate Solder (signed by the New York Giants as an unrestricted free agent) at left tackle, and has given the Patriots the luxury of bringing Wynn (who got a look on the right side with the first unit during Sunday's practice) along at a slower pace.

With the Patriots sitting Wynn out of the preseason opener (the thinking being that they’re being cautious after he underwent shoulder surgery in January), former Eagle-Seattle Seahawk Matt Tobin took the field at left tackle against the Redskins with the second unit, put forth a good account of himself and is making a bid to stick.

Cole Croston, who made the team as a rookie free agent last year but appeared in just four games (three regular season, one playoff game), is also in the mix here.

Depending upon how things shake out elsewhere, tackle Vincent Valentine, a third-round pick in 2016 who missed all of last season with a knee injury, could survive here.

Chosen late in the third round, four picks ahead of Flowers (selected early in the fourth) in the 2015 draft, Geneo Grissom is another guy who always seems to hang around but is on the bubble once again.

To say that the depth at this position is underwhelming would be an understatement (and note that King is a special teamer).

Bentley, a fifth-round pick in April, was solid in his preseason debut against the Redskins and Hightower was able to play an extended stretch of time in that game without getting hurt, but that’s about the extent of the optimism at this position at the moment.

The fact that Jason McCourty, the offseason trade acquisition from Cleveland expected to compete for the starting job across from Gilmore, didn’t get on the field last Thursday night wouldn’t seem to bode well for his future here, but his departure would leave the team awfully lean in experience at the position behind Gilmore and Rowe.

Time’s up for Cyrus Jones, the 2016 second-round draft pick who had a dreadful rookie year, missed all of last season with a torn ACL and just recently came off the physically unable to perform list.

McCourty, Chung and Harmon give the Patriots a solid three and Ebner remains a core player on special teams.

The addition of Pleasant, the former Houston Texan, could lead to an unpleasant finish for Jordan Richards, the 2015 second-round draft pick who has somehow stuck around for three years.

Specialists (3): Ryan Allen, Joe Cardona, Stephen Gostkowski

Rookie free agent Corey Bojorquez has a stronger leg than Allen, but he’s lacking in consistency and there’s a lot to be said for the central role the veteran plays in the Patriots’ directional punting game.

In the end, it’s the same as it ever was, the same as it has been since Cardona was drafted in 2015: Cardona long snapping, Allen punting and holding for placements, and Gostowski place-kicking.